Milton keech and joseph labebdee



( No Model.)

M. KEEOH 8v J1 LABERDEE.

RBAGH FOR WAGONS. No. 332,084. Patented Dec. 8, 1885..

JAMWAM WITNESSES @TZZ - N. PETERS. Plvoio-Limnghphar, Walhingion, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT FErcE.

MILTON KEECH AND JOSEPH LABERDEE, OF GOUVERNEUR, NEXV YORK.

REACH FOR WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,034, dated December 8, 1885.

Application filed August 27, 1885. Serial No. 175,482. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MILTON KEEoH and JOSEPH LABERDEE, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Gouvernenr, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reaches for wagons;

and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in reach-couplings for vehicles, the object of the same being to provide a reach which can be adjusted to suit vehicles having bodies of different lengths, the parts of the reach being pivotally connected to each other, so that the front axle may move at a greater angle than the hind axle in turning; and our invention consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate our invention, Figure l is a plan view of our improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional view.

A A represent the sills or bed-pieces, above which is attached the 'wagon-body. These sill-pieces are connected to the axle B B by bolts to a, the front bolt, a, passing through the sill A, crossbar A, end of the portion G of the reach, and through the front axle, B,while the rear bolt, a, extends through the sill A between the bifurcated end of the reach D,

and thence through the hind axle, B. To the upper side of the axle B, on a line with the reach D, are attached converging hounds E, which are'provided at their rear portions immediately above the axle with wear-plates 6, similar plates being secured to the under side of the sill-piece A. The hounds E at their forward ends are connected to each other by crescentshaped plates E, which are rigidly attached thereto, so as to provide an opening between the inner ends of the hounds and the plates E. By this construction the reach D can be adjusted so as to bring the hind axle nearer to or farther away from the front axle.

The reach D is provided with perforations d, th rough which a coupling-pin, d, which passes through the crescentshaped plates E, may be inserted. The forward end of the reach is provided with perforations d d. The front axle has rigidly attached thereto between the sill or bolster a bow or fifth-wheel, E, which is provided with a brace-bar, F, having a central eye,f, formed therein.

Between the bolster A and axle B is located the forward portion, G, of the reach, which is connected thereto by the king-bolt a. The rear part of this portion G is enlarged laterally, as shown, and arecess, g, is provided between the upper and lower end portions, said end portions being connected to each other at their sides by pillars g. \Vhen it is desired that the front and rear axles should move so that the vehicle can be turned sharply, a pin,'f, is inserted through the eyef of the bar E, which, in connection with the kingbolt a, will hold the portion Ggrigid upon the bow F and axle.

The upper and lower plates, 71, of the portion G are provided immediately in the rear of the pin f with slots t, through which passes the pin 1', said pin also passing through the perforation cl in the end of the reach D, so that said pin and reach can move longitudinally. Near the rear end of the portion G are provided curved recesses I, the central portion of said recesses being provided with similarly-curved slots 1, as shown, through which slots passes a coupling-bolt, J, said coupling-bolt also passing through the perforation d in the reach D. The couplingboltJ is provided immediately under its head and nut with circular disks K, which lie within the recesses I. In rear of the recess I, and in the central portion of the top and bottom plates, h h, are provided perforations k, which will register with the perforation it, when the axles are placed parallel with each other. These perforations are adapted to receive the pin f, and when said pin is inserted therein the forward and rear portion, D, of the reach will be coupled to each other, so that the axles will move in the ordinary manner, the portion G moving over the bow or fifth-wheel F.

The operation of our invention is as follows when the parts are organized as shown in the drawings: \Vhen the front axle is turned in the direction shown by the arrow, the portion G, being substantially rigidly attached thereto, will turn with it and will carry the forward end of the reach D,-the bolt playing in the longitudinal slot,while the bolt J moves toward the end of the recess and slot, the disks K acting as anti-friction rollers. This movement will cause the hind axle to move in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, thus enabling the wagon to turn in a very short space.

It will be noted that the forward axle turns at a greater angle than the hind axle, the object of this movement being to provide for the difference in the sizes of the front and hind wheels.

We claim- 1. In areach-conpling for vehicles, the portlon G, having its rear end enlarged and provided transversely with a segmental slot, 1, and in front of said slot with a longitudinal slot, i, in combination with the reach D, provided with pins which extend through the slots i and I, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a reach-coupling for vehicles, the forward portion, G, wit-h longitudinal and transverse slots, as shown, said portion being adapted to be secured removably to the forward axle, the reach D, attached to the hind axle and braced thereto by hounds E, the portions G D of the reach being pivotally connected to each other by bolts J and i, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a reach-coupling for vehicles constructed substantially as shown, the. portion G, made of a single casting and provided at its front end with aperforation through which passes the king-bolt, a rearwardly-enlarged portion having at its greatest width a recess, I, and curved slot 1., a perforation, 7c, in rear of said slot, a central slot, d, and adjacent thereto, nearer its forward end, a perforation, in combination with the rear portion, D, of the reach, said portion having attached thereto bolts 'i and J, the bolt J being provided with disks K, and pin f, which passes through an eye formed in the bar F, the parts being organized as described.

In testimony whereof we affiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MILTON KEEGH. JOSEPH LABERDEE. Witnesses:

HENRY ROGERS, WILLIAM BIRD. 

